Peoria Standard

Peoria County Health Committee met July 27.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sharon Williams - Chairperson, Betty Duncan - Vice Chairperson; Eden Blair, Brandy Bryant, Linda Daley, Rachel Reliford, Rob Reneau, Steve Rieker, Phillip Salzer

MEMBERS ABSENT: Jennifer Groves Allison, Kate Pastucha

OTHERS PRESENT: Scott Sorrel - County Administrator; Shauna Musselman – Assistant County Administrator; Dana Hughes - State's Attorney's Office; Andrew Rand – County Board Chairman; James Fennell – County Board Vice-Chairman; Gretchen Pearsall – County Administration; Rebecca Cottrell – Sustainability & Resource Conservation; Monica Hendrickson – Health Department; Elizabeth Crider – Regional Office of Education; Todd Baker – Care & Treatment Board

Call to Order

Vice-Chairperson Duncan called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m.

Approval of Minutes

A motion to approve the minutes of April 27, 2021 and May 25, 2021 was made by Ms. Daley and seconded by Dr. Blair. The motion carried unanimously. (9-0)

Informational Items / Reports / Other Minutes / Updates

⮚ Board of Health

⮚ Monthly Update

Ms. Hendrickson directed committee members to the submitted Board of Health minutes of May, 2021. She advised that a presentation was given at the July meeting on the Edwards Grant Settlement. She stated that RFPs related to an integrated model facility will close next week.

⮚ Care & Treatment Board

⮚ Monthly Update

Mr. Baker advised that the Care & Treatment Board met June 9, 2021 and awarded $982,050.00 in grants to Camp Big Sky, Easter Seals, CWTC, EP!C, and Best Buddies.

⮚ EMA

⮚ Monthly Update

Ms. Hendrickson advised that the EMA is developing a review of several of the city’s emergency operations centers. She also advised that the EMA is coordinating with Peoria County GIS to gain a better understanding of which outdoor warning sirens are in need of updating or replacement, and/or expanding the capacity of other sirens in the surrounding area.

⮚ Regional Office of Education

⮚ Monthly Update

Ms. Crider provided an update on the activities of the Regional Office of Education: 

• She and George McKenna attended the Illinois Association of Regional School Superintendents annual meeting in Springfield in July.

• Peoria Regional Learning Center held a retreat with topics including strategic planning on workforce development.

• Peoria public schools is reporting a significant amount of kindergarten and 1st grade students have missed over 100 days of school. A press conference will be scheduled to promote “Rebound with Attendance”, a campaign to make school attendance a priority.

• The ROE has been working to align both the Peoria Public Schools very specific attendance campaign and the county’s broader county-wide campaign.

• Available funding is being utilized to bring the truancy staff back early and that staff has been going door to door to determine the needs of children who have missed more than 80- 100 days of school and what can be done to assist those children.

• Guidance for returning to school this fall focuses on the importance of vaccinations; however, as children 12 and under cannot currently be vaccinated, layered mitigation is also being reviewed. Peoria Public Schools will require masking, although no other districts currently have that policy and are reviewing optional masking if vaccinated. Ms. Crider commented that at this point, all students will return to face-to-face instruction.

• To assist truant schoolchildren in their readiness for 1st grade, a robust summer school as offered across the county, and for those who did not attend summer school, interventions will take place this coming school year.

⮚ Sustainability & Resource Conservation

⮚ Sustainability Update

Ms. Cottrell provided highlights on the activities of Sustainability & Resource Conservation:

• The IEPA will release the dates for Household Hazardous Waste Events soon. A registration link will be released August 16th or August 23rd.

• A pre-approval application has been submitted to Ameren for a Feasibility Study for HVAC equipment at the JDC and Jail.

⮚ Landfill Update

• The Landfill Committee will meet on August 4, 2021.

• Receipts decreased in early spring; however, have rebounded in early summer and were above average for the month of June.

Committee Action

⮚ Review of Executive Session Minutes

A motion to accept the recommendation of the State’s Attorney’s Office was made by Ms. Williams and seconded by Dr. Blair. Ms. Hughes advised that it is the recommendation of the State’s Attorney’s Office that all previously held executive session minutes continue to be held closed as the need for confidentiality still exists, and to destroy executive session audio recordings more than two years old, except those that relate to pending litigation.

The motion to accept the recommendation of the State’s Attorney’s Office carried unanimously (9-0).

Discussion

⮚ Health & Human Services Campus

Mr. Sorrel advised that RFQ submittals for architectural and engineering firms, and construction manager at risk firms are due Monday, August 2, 2021, at which time the evaluation process will be initiated. He advised that staff anticipates bringing forward awards for contracts for those services at the August meeting of the committee.

Miscellaneous

Mr. Sorrel presented Ms. Cottrell with her 15-year service pin and congratulated her on being a valuable member of the Peoria County team.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned by Vice-Chairperson Duncan at 1:45 p.m.